Problems with Tracfone LG phones - who is at fault?

**Rick880** · 03-02-2023, 08:32 AM

For the past few weeks I have encountered problems when tried to reactivate a couple of LG phones (Stylo 4 and Journey). Both reactivation processes were done by TF rep. due to circumstance and in both cases the phone ended up with just data working but not calls or texts through cellular. LG Journey is WiFi-compatible and calls or texts through WiFi actually were working. Various attempts to get the problem fixed by TF went nowhere. During TF's trouble-shooting process, these things - removing SIM card, network reset and factory reset - were done several times but to no avail. TF claimed that the setting on their side was correct but the phones just didn't work. I almost gave up on the phones but want to test if they had problems with other carrier(s) first. So I inserted an activated Walmart FreedomPop T-Mobile SIM card into the phones, which had been unlocked, and the phones actually worked with cellular calls/texts. I then put back the original TF SIM card and was surprised that calls and texts through cellular worked afterward. The first time when it happened with LG Journey, I blamed it was 100% TF's fault but when it happened again with LG Stylo 4, I believe LG's phone design might have to share some responsibility. Another interesting thing is I had transferred phone numbers to these two phones countless times on-line before but had never encountered a problem. Anyway, I just want to share my experience with LG phones so that if others encounter similar situation know there is one extra thing to try.

**Serial Port** · 03-02-2023, 09:15 AM

There is an active thread here on HoFo about a recognized activation issue on Verizon prepaid/MVNO carriers.

**Rick880** · 03-02-2023, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by Serial Port

There is an active thread here on HoFo about a recognized activation issue on Verizon prepaid/MVNO carriers.

Did you mean the thread about Verizon activation outage? Nothing to do with it.

**hpham** · 03-02-2023, 10:21 AM

I activated a refurb LG Stylo 5 in January. Had no problems. Prior to 2022, all of my phones with TF were LG's. Never had any problems with them.

**Serial Port** · 03-02-2023, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by Rick880

Did you mean the thread about Verizon activation outage? Nothing to do with it.

According to the original post, it was a TF issue with reactivation of a phone. I wouldn't be so sure that it wasn't related.

**kaZZoo** · 03-02-2023, 11:44 AM

On the reactivation was there a new number assigned.

**Rick880** · 03-02-2023, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by kaZZoo

On the reactivation was there a new number assigned.

No, only an existing number from one device to another.

**kaZZoo** · 03-02-2023, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by Rick880

No, only an existing number from one device to another.

A different number, then what was on the phone.

I had a reactivation of an inactive line that went wacko, it was for a new number, didn’t process correctly, and the old number stayed on the sim, on the account it showed the new number. Found that out by checking phone number on the device.

It wasn’t fun getting it corrected.

Going forward, I’l spend a buck and get new sims.

**advcomp2019** · 03-02-2023, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by tomseys

There's been some complaints recently about calls not working while LTE data still works on some older phonses. In those cases it was related to the 3G shutdown and voLTE being turned off on some phones I guess by error. I think in some of those cases texts still worked...

The solution in those cases was to either turn on voLTE in the settings or dial *#*#4636#*#* and toggle it on there.

Don't know if this is that problem.

I know some phones you need to changed the "Preferred Network type" to LTE only or LTE/NR from the *#*#4636#*#* or phone menus.